In January of 2016, Ryan Haggerty walked through the doors of Work Hard Pittsburgh and became a member of the cooperative. Since then, his business that specializes in photography and video production, Haggerty Media, has grown alongside of Work Hard Pittsburgh. Haggerty Media works closely with clients to tell their story and get their message out there
Recently, Ryan Haggerty of Haggerty Media sat down with us to contribute to our “Meet the Members” series. Below are highlights from our Q&A.
[/fusion_separator] Q – How did you get started in photography and videography?
I am a very visual person; I learn and communicate visually. I was lucky to be one of those people who knew what I wanted to do back in high school. I started getting into photography and videography then and tried out different types of videos to start gaining experience. Whether working with a charity, community organization, for-profit, non-profit, it’s all the same in the idea that I get to learn about them and become somewhat of an expert with what they do and work with them to put together their story in a compelling way.
Q – What do you like best about Work Hard Pittsburgh’s Cooperative environment?
Working here is different than working out of my home; there are a lot distractions at home. At Work Hard Pittsburgh, I can relax and get work done. It is also nice to have a physical address and office space where I can meet with clients and make my business feel more professional. I also like the people, every day I come in and see someone who is excited about what they are working on. It is motivating to see and share that excitement in the environment that Work Hard Pittsburgh provides. My business succeeding is good for my business and the cooperative as a whole; the same can be said for the other businesses working out of the Work Hard Pittsburgh space.
Q – What have been some of the most enjoyable projects that you have worked on?
Since I have been here, I enjoyed working on projects in various Pittsburgh neighborhoods where I get to help with outreach efforts that are specific to each specific neighborhood. I work closely with these neighborhoods through a Work hard Pittsburgh program called Pittsburgh Tall. Pittsburgh Tall has a few ways to help others get their stories out there and one of these ways is through video. We recently told the story of the Gardens of Millvale covering how they have a greenhouse, how they are growing crops, and how this initiative is encouraging people to come out, participate, and become a part of that community.
We have also worked with Ignite in the North Side that works with businesses to help them develop. Ignite works with companies like a cleaning service that wants to have a business plan or even a non-profit that wants to work with children who have to deal with abuse in their life. It is a great thing to be able to come in and be a part of that experience and really know what is going on in our communities. I think that it is really cool how I get to be a part of that.
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Q – Who have been your more unique clients?
Some of the projects that I have worked on that are different and present challenges have been with DECO Resources and Meta Mesh. DECO Resources deals with engineering and has a focus on sustainability and Meta Mesh specializes in wireless networking and provides a lot of free wifi in Pittsburgh. Both of these companies were working with Millvale to install an aquaponics system that purifies water to help the plants thrive while also combining technology to utilize a solar panel, wireless hub, and a fish cam. This posed a challenge for me with trying to fit all of that into a story. It was rewarding to see them overcome those issues and create something new to benefit Millvale and the surrounding community. This experience was definitely a lot fun and I enjoy working with those companies.
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Q – What are you currently working on?
I am currently working with Allegheny CleanWays that has a project called DumpBusters. They have volunteers go into these abandoned city blocks and clean it up to make the city of Pittsburgh look better in the process. I am working alongside them to create a video that tells their story so that they can use it to promote what they are doing, reach out to the city to acquire more funding, and recruit more volunteers to help out with their cause.
I am also partnering with Looking For Group (LFG) which is a gaming cooperative. I am working with them to create a promotional video that will recruit new members to come in and play their table-top and video games. I am kind of a video game nerd so I also enjoy the perks of the job and getting to come into the space to play video games.
Q – What gap does Work Hard Pittsburgh fill in the entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Work Hard Pittsburgh is well-suited for small businesses looking for a professional workspace. At Work Hard Pittsburgh, you can interact with an environment of people with similar goals as you: networking, improving their business, and improving the surrounding communities that we all work and live in.
Work Hard Pittsburgh has created a complimentary ecosystem for any business that needs to provide services to a client who may need multiple businesses to help. You can find help even if you are accomplishing different goals, have a business of a different size, have more or less employees, or are in a different business segment all together. If you don’t want to rent or buy a building or office space, but need one to work in, Work Hard Pittsburgh can provide that to you at an affordable price.
Q – How does Work Hard Pittsburgh’s cooperative structure add value to your business?
Work Hard Pittsburgh adds value to my business because I am learning more about business every day. If you run into challenges or a project where you need more people and equipment, you have a network of talented people that you can reach out to for advice and help.
You really do get to grow your business along with Work Hard Pittsburgh. I have only been a member since January 2016 and since then I have seen a lot of growth here. With Work Hard Pittsburgh being in the middle of restructuring, I get to have a say in what happens and this makes me care more about Work Hard Pittsburgh.
Also, as growth continuously happens and businesses share the work that has been done for them through Work Hard Pittsburgh with the #workhardpgh hashtag, this makes the businesses working in the space look really good. I enjoy being a part of the Work Hard Pittsburgh story.
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“My business succeeding is good for my business and the cooperative as a whole; the same can be said for the other businesses working out of Work Hard Pittsburgh.”
You can find out more about Haggerty Media on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also stop into Work Hard Pittsburgh any time to meet with Ryan Haggerty in person. Ryan Haggerty can also be reached via email at haggertymedia@gmail.com and by calling 828-545-8816. Along with finding Ryan’s previous work on his website, you can also check out his YouTube channel.